AUSTIN —Tom Schieffer, who formally launched his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor Wednesday, says Texas is on the “road to disaster” after more than eight years of GOP Gov. Rick Perry.

Many GOP primary voters who’ve made up their mind, however, apparently don’t agree. They favor Perry by a double-digit margin over U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, according to a new poll — with 45 percent still undecided.

Schieffer is the only announced candidate, so far, for next year’s gubernatorial election.

A former state legislator, lawyer, businessman and friend of George W. Bush, he will visit San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley today to spread his campaign message and lift his low profile. Education will be a major theme.

“Right now, we have dropout rates in Hispanic, African-American and low income white neighborhoods that exceed 40, 50 and 60 percent. If you believe we can do better than that, then join our cause,” he told supporters at a Fort Worth rally.

“People know there is something wrong — they know that Texas is falling behind. They are worried about it,” Schieffer said in an interview last week with the Houston Chronicle. “They want better than what we’ve got now.”

Schieffer said at-risk students are “going to fall behind, and they’re not going to wind up being taxpayers, they’re going to wind up being tax consumers.”

If that continues, he said, “There is no level of taxes that will support the services that you have to have in this state, and I’m afraid we’re literally on the road to disaster.”

Perry addressed his critics Saturday by suggesting they’re tearing down Texas’ achievements under his tenure for political gain.

Perry leads Hutchison, 33-21, in their expected race for the GOP nod, according to a state poll by the Texas Lyceum. However, a large group of Texans remain undecided.

“Although Governor Perry enjoys a lead with those who intend to participate in the Republican primary for governor, the fact that 45 percent of those polled have yet to choose a candidate shows that this is still anyone’s race,” said Daron Shaw, a University of Texas at Austin government professor, who, with James Henson, conducted the poll.

The two GOP gubernatorial campaigns put their own spin on the results.

“To the extent this poll shows anything, it’s that two-thirds of Texans don’t want Rick Perry for yet another four years. His 39 percent support from 2006 is deteriorating,” Hutchison campaign spokesman Hans Klingler said.

Schieffer said in the interview that many decisions — including failure to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program and draw down more federal money — have been shortsighted.

“That’s great political rhetoric in a Republican primary, but it’s not good public policy, because what happens is that kids still get asthma,” he said. “They still get sick.”

While slamming Perry, Schieffer has a hill to climb among some in his own party because he’s friends with George W. Bush and served in his administration as ambassador to Australia and Japan. He and Bush led investment groups that together bought the Texas Rangers in 1989 and sold the team 10 years later.

Despite that, Schieffer said he’s always been a Democrat and voted in Democratic primaries — though he said he voted for Bush for president in the 2000 and 2004 general elections. He said he voted for Barack Obama in last year’s primary and general elections.